Conveying apparatus.



C. P. BOSSERT.`

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. z. 1912.

Patented June 30, 1914.-

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C. P. BOSSBRT. CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 2, 1912.

Llll 3. Patented June 30,1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE CHARLES P. BOSSERT, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PFISTER @a VOGEL LEATHER C0., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ,A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES P. Bossnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and Improved Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to conveyers for drying apparatus, such as are used in the tanning and other industries, and contemplates a so-called continuous drier, that is, an apparatus to which articles to be dried are fed constantly and from which the dried articles are taken constantly, while the apparatus is in operation.

In the tanning industry there are certain steps, in the preparation of leather for the market, which involve a drying operation, and, citing a specific instance, this is so after the finishing or seasoning has been put on the leather and before the so-called glazing operation. After the finishing or seasoning has been put upon the leather, the leather is left in a damp or moist condition and the glazing can not take place until after the leather has been thoroughly dried.

The necessity for having the leather t-horoughly and completely dried is an imperative one and the object of my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby this desirable result may be secured.

My invention has to do further with the structure of the apparatus and the details whereby the hides are hung and released.

Broadly, the main structure of my device is in the form of a skeleton tunnel through which the hides are slowly passed by means of carrying mechanism, this mechanism being constantly operated. The hides may be constantly fed into the machine at one end and are automatically released therefrom at the other end, the drying taking place while the hides are in transit between the two ends of the structure. Means is provided for hanging the hides in more or less regular longitudinal and transverse rows properly spaced so that blasts of air may be blown down between them. These blasts are more or less forcibly thrown against the hides and the moisture in them is quickly Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 2, 1912.

Patented June 3Q, 1911.

Serial No. 723,650.

removed in this way, the moisture-laden air passing from the skeleton tunnel as it will.

The carrying means for the hides is the important feature of my invention. l/Vith the idea of simplicity and efficiency and with the idea of manually feeding at one end and automatically releasing at the other, I provide means whereby a large number of tapered spears are arranged in transverse rows upon moving chains or belts and, in feeding. the hides are hung by an attendant while they are automatically released or dropped at the eXit end of the tunnel. I provide simple means whereby these tapered spears are mounted and I make these details the subject matter of some of the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view thereof; Fig. 2 is a detail view of part of the carrying chain and one of the carrying bars in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 in end elevation; Fig. i is a perspective view of one of the carrying bars and the spears mounted thereon.

Like reference characters are applied tothe same or analogous parts throughout the various figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that it is convenient to arrange two rows of uprights 7, 7 between the floor f and the ceiling c of a suitable room, in order to form the skeleton tunnel which has been referred to. The details of the structural metal work in this connection are not important and no further reference thereto will be made except to point out that there are suitable longitudinal and transverse bars to complete the arrangement. The left hand end of the structure is the entrance end and the right hand end is the exit end. A transverse shaft 8 is mounted in bearings 9, 9 near the exit end of the structure and this shaft has secured thereto a gear lO. A worm wheel l1 is in mesh with this gear, this worm wheel being securely mounted upon a shaft 12, at right angles to the shaft 8, carrying a tight and loose pulley arrangement 13, asindicated in the drawings. A suitable source of power is operatively connected lwith the tight and loose pulley arrangement 13 and byv this means the shaft 12 is rotated. The shaft 8 carries two sprocket wheels 14C, one near each end thereof, and sprocket chains 15, 15 pass over these sprocket wheels. Near the entrance end of the structure a shaft 16 is mounted parallel with the shaft 8 in adn justable bearings 17, 17 and this shaft carries two sprocket wheels 18, 18 w'hich are in respective longitudinal alineinent with the sprocket wheels 141C, 14. The chains 15, 15 pass over the .sprocket wheels 18, 18, in the same manner that they pass over the sprocket wheels 14e, 14, and the parts are so disposed that the chains thus run longitudinally within the skeleton tunnel hereinbefoi'e described. At suitable and preferably regular intervals certain links in each of the chains 15, 15 are provided with downward extensions 19, 19, that is, the extensions are downward in the lower runs of the chains and the arrangement is such that the extensions on one chain are in transverse alinement with the extensions on the other chain. Between each two registering extensions a cross-bar 2O is secured by means of rivets 21, 21, these cross-bars being in the form of angle irons with the rivets referred to passing through the vertical portions thereof. On cach side of each link of the chain which is specilically constructed with the extension, there is provided a special link which carries a stud shaft 22 upon which a roller 23 is mounted, the roller being confined in place by meansr of a Cotter' pin 24. These rollers are arranged to ride in channel beams 25, 25, as tracks, which are secured to the skeleton framework in longitudinal position under the respective runs of both chains.

It will now be seen that I provide a belt structure which is arranged to be moved through the skeleton tunnel, as described, and this skeleton structure is provided with carrying means upon w'hich the hides may be hung. rlhese carrying means are in the form of tapered spears 26, 26 which are secured to the transverse bars 20 in position to be horizontal in the straight-away. These tapered spears 26, 26 point toward the entrance end of the tunnel while on the lower run, as illust-rated, and are secured to the horizontal bars of the angle irons in the following manner: Each spear member is originally in the form of a staple, as illustrated in Fig. 2, one leg a being in the form of a spear, and the other leg I) being Vin the form of a short stud. Holes CZ, Z are formed in the proper position in the horizontal portions of the angle iron and the staple is dropped through in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The stud I) is riveted down as illustrated to secure the inem ber in place and the spear a is turned up in a horizontal position as illustrated. The result is a secure, simple and solid arrangement, These spears are properly spaced along the length of the transverse bars and each spear is adapted to carry one hide. It will now be seen that as the empty spears assume the horizontal position just upon leaving the sprocket wheels 18,'18, an attendant may hang hides thereon and these hides are effectively carried through the entire tunnel, subject to the blasts as will be presently described. When the exit end of the tunnel is reached, the spears are turned as they round the sprockets and the hides will naturally drop therefrom by their own weight. rlhey may be dropped upon a table or trap, as desired, so that they may readily be transported to the next department.

'Ihe means for producing and directing the blasts is in the form of an air box 27 which extends throughout the length of the path of the hides or skins and is provided f with a plurality of nozzles in the form of transverse narrow slots 28, 28, these slots being obliquely positioned in order to direct the blasts downwardly and also against the hides or skins. The box is open at the exit end of the structure and a fan 29 is disposed in this open end, suitable means being provided to rotate the fan to create the proper blast.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In conveying apparatus for hides and similar articles, a pair of parallel endless chains, cross-bars rigidly mounted between said chains, and a plurality of spears car-Y ried by each cross-bar, said spears extending horizontally in the straight-away.

2. In conveying apparatus for hides and similar articles, two rotatable members, endless chains passing over said rotatablemembers, cross-bars rigidly mounted between the chains, and spears secured to said cross-bars, said spears being horizontally in the straight-away and pointing toward the receiving end on the lower run.

3. In conveying apparat-us for hides and similar articles, rotatable members, endless chains passing over said members, means for moving said chains, cross-bars extending between said chains and rigidly connected therewith, and spears carried by said crossbars, said cross-bars being in the form of angle irons, the vertical portions of which are secured to the chain and to the horizontal portions of which the spears are secured;

1. In conveying apparatus for hides and similar articles, rotatable members, endless chains passing over said members, means for moving said chains, cross-bars extending between said chains and VVrigidly connected carriers, cross-bars rigidly mounted between said endless carriers, .and a plurality ofY spears carried by each cross-bar, said spears extending horizontally in the straight-away. 6. In conveying apparatus for hides and similar articles, two rotatable members, end- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe less carriers passing over said rotatable my name this 28th day of September, A. D., members, cross-bars rigidly mounted be- 1912.

tween endless carriers, and spears secured to CHARLES P. BOSSERT. said cross-bars, said spears being horzon- Witnesses:

tally n the straight-away and pointing to- H. J. GEERLINGS,

ward the receiving end on the lower run. C. R. MCKEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

